Paatal Lok (2020) – Review

Paatal Lok is a neo-noir web tv series created by Sudip Sharma. It is premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 15th May 2020.

The series sets in Delhi and follows Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), a cynical and washed out cop, who has an ordinary career. Until one day, a high profile case lands on his table, a case of four suspects, who are arrested in the charge of an assassination attempt of a big journalist and tv anchor Sanjeev Mehra (Neeraj Kabi). The series is the investigative crime-drama that takes Hathi Ram to the dark realm of the underworld (Paatal Lok).

The series is inspired by the traditional concepts of Swarga Lok (Heaven), Dharti Lok (Earth), and Paatal Lok (Hell). And the trailer of this series does a really fine job of giving what we’re going to get in this series. It is a series that has many takeaways. For me, the most important one was the dark and riveting story of insects (criminals/defaulters/outcasts) of Paatal Lok (Hell). It is very easy to mark someone bad, but it is even important to know and understand why they are the way they are. Because, in my opinion, nobody is born bad, but their surrounding, their upbringing, plays an important role in their destiny. Along with Paatal Lok, the series also shows the flawed nature of Swarga Lok and Dharti Lok, and how everybody is living for their greed.

The series never holds back in showing the dark truth of our society. Casteism, communalism, and classism have become the undetachable parts of our life and it is crumbling our society inside out. Along with the fresh and impactful storyline, the series has powerful performances. Especially, Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, and Abhishek Banerjee, which makes it one of the best web tv series coming out of India. Along with leads, every other role was just perfect. The series has captivating conversations and dialogues in the natural and grounded setting, nothing is over the top. The series has some really brutal and violent scenes, which can disturb the viewers. The series also has some adult scenes. So, definitely, it is not something which you can watch with your family.

Human life has a dark side, but it has a bright side too, and so the series. Similarly, the series has its moments of humanity and warmth. The series also explores the father-son and husband-wife relationships, and kindness towards animals. The series discovers startling truths and insights of Paatal Lok that eventually helps the lead character to rediscover his responsibilities as a cop, his place in the larger system, and the meaning of life itself.

Verdict : The series has a engaging storyline, compelling characters, and top-notch performances. Undoubtedly, it is one of the best tv series coming out of India.